Buckeye Chase

Tom, Chuck and I left Flagstaff at 5am to chase a life bird, Smith's Longspur in a field at Tuthill and Pecos in Buckeye. The bird had been found earlier in the week and we knew how to find the bird.On our arrival we had flocks of 300 Lark Buntings and at least 1000 Red-winged Blackbirds but these soon departed. Starting at 7:30 we, and many others, walked back and forth across the large field until the bird flushed giving its obvious call note as it flew. Noting its landing position, everyone heads towards it and scopes the bird until it is found. We had excellent views on three occasions between 9:30 and 11:00. By then 50 birders had appeared, the largest group of chasers I had seen since the Baikal Teal in December 2010. As well as the Smith's we had a few Chestnut-collared Longspurs but the area was think with Horned Larks, Western Meadowlarks and sparrows - mostly Savannahs and Vespers.

Horned Lark

 I finished the first week of 2011 at 54 species for the year with one lifer.

First Few Days

I made a slow start to the year with just 9 species in my yard on the first day - although this included a rare visitor, Lewis's Woodpecker. A trip across town on the 2nd failed to locate the Snow Goose or Eurasian Wigeon that I'd seen on December 31st. By Friday 6th I had seen 39 species, the best being the Anthem Rufous-backed Robin seen on a quick visit back from dropping my son at Skyharbor.

Rufous-backed Robin

The Year Ahead

As with last year, in 2012 I hope to do plenty of birding at the weekend and on my days off. I have some travel plans too, including a non-birding trip to Alaska on which I hope to find some lifers.

I had set myself the goal of at least 12 state birds in 2011, and managed 24. I will aim for 15 in 2012 - this would take me almost halfway to the magic 400.  I will again set 250 as my Arizona goal; I beat that in 2011 but, in part, that was due to some chasing when David visited in May.

I had a goal of 50 lifers in 2011 and managed more than twice that courtesy of a trip to Thailand. In 2012, my big trip will be to Alaska and I will set an optimistic goal of 40 lifers for 2012.  I should reach 500 ABA birds in 2012. My final goal is to see 400 species worldwide; well down on 2011’s 590 species but there will be no Thailand in 2012.

On my wanted list for the Four corners region in 2012 are Red-necked Grebe, Cackling Goose, Sage Grouse, Stilt Sandpiper, Black Tern, Gray Jay, Pine Grosbeak and the three species of rosy finch.

My 2011 birding year

I ended the year with 590 species, far more than I had expected courtesy of a guided trip to Thailand. My ABA total ended on 346 and there is no doubt that I should have made 350: I had failed to locate a Cassin's Vireo seen by my Camp Verde CBC team mates on January 2nd, seemed to be the only birder in Flagstaff to miss the Winter Wren at Picture Canyon in early January, did not chase warblers hard enough in the early summer and ended without Grace's and Red-faced Warbler. If you add to these the fact that I also failed to run into Virginia Rail, Williamson's Sapsucker or Red-breasted Nuthatch, and missed California Condor, Golden Eagle and Black-billed Magpie (which I would've got with more effort), I would have made it to 600.

 My best birds in North America, both seen in Arizona, were Fan-tailed Warbler and Nutting's Flycatcher. Of my favorite birds, I saw 31 species of Anseridae, 4 grebes and 4 loons with Barrow's Goldeneye, Yellow-billed Loon and Red-throated Loon all being lifers. I also managed 11 gull species for the year, a definite personal best!

My year end total are as follows:
 

Life List
ABA List	488
Arizona List	366
Yard List	94

My 2011 Bird List

January 1st 
Ross’s Goose
Canada Goose
American Wigeon

Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Great-blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Acorn Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Steller’s Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Mountain Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Western Bluebird
Townsend’s Solitaire
American Robin
European Starling\
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin
House Sparrow

January 2^nd 
American Kestrel
Gambel's Quail
Belted Kingfisher
Gila Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Gray Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Northern Shrike
Western Scrub-Jay
Bridled Titmouse
Rock Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Crissal Thrasher
Sage Thrasher
Spotted Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Black-chinned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Lark Bunting
Northern Cardinal
Western Meadowlark

January 3rd 
Eurasian Collared Dove
Great-tailed Grackle

January 5th
 Gadwall
Blue-winged Teal
Nothern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Cooper’s Hawk
Sora
Common Gallinule
Killdeer
Least Sandpiper
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Cassin’s Kingbird
Verdin
Orange-crowned Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Abert’s Towhee

January 6th
Pied-billed Grebe
Short-tailed Hawk
White-winged Dove
Dusky Flycatcher
Bewick's Wren
Rufous-backed Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Phainopepla
Green-tailed Towhee
Lark Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Pyrrhuloxia
Lazuli Bunting
Lesser Goldfinch

January 7th
Northern Harrier
Chihuahuan Raven
Loggerhead Shrike

January 8^th
Brown Pelican
Ferruginous Hawk
Merlin
Mountain Plover

January 9th
Snow Goose
White-fronted Goose
Redhead
Canvasback
Juniper Titmouse

January 11th
Lesser Scaup
Hooded Merganser

January 15th
Wood Duck

January 20th
Eurasian Wigeon
White-throated Sparrow

January 22nd
Greater Scaup
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Common Loon
Yellow-billed Loon
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark's Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow

January 27th
Cinnamon Teal
Neotropic Cormorant
Snowy Egret
Black Vulture
Costa's Hummingbird
Rough-winged Swallow
Cactus Wren

January 28th
Marsh Wren

January 29th
Lewis's Woodpecker
Pinyon Jay
Cassin's Finch

January 30th
Horned Lark
Chestnut-collared Longspur
Lapland Longspur

February 4th
American Dipper

February 10th
Wilson's Snipe

February 12th
Common Black-Hawk
Anna's Hummingbird

February 19th
Red Crossbill

February 25th
Brown Creeper

February 26th
American Goldfinch

February 27th
Evening Grosbeak

March 1st
Sharp-shinned Hawk

March 7th
Cattle Egret
Sandhill Crane
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
LeConte's Thrasher

March 12th
Burrowing Owl
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Cliff Swallow
Curve-billed Thrasher
Brewer's Blackbird

March 19th
Peregrine
Barn Owl
Peach-faced Lovebird

March 20th
White-faced Ibis
Osprey
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Dowitcher

March 26th
Western Wood-Pewee
Plumbeous Vireo
Canyon Wren
Lucy's Warbler

March 27th
Violet-green Swallow

March 31st
White-throated Swift
Painted Redstart

April 2nd
Franklin's Gull
Bushtit

April 14th
House Wren

April 16th
Great Horned Owl
Western Kingbird
Bullock's Oriole

April 17th 
Yellow-headed Blackbird

April 18th 
Yellow Warbler

April 23rd
 Broad-tailed Hummingbird

May 7th 
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Wilson's Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbird

May 12th
Common Nighthawk

May 13th
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak

May 14th 
Spotted Sandpiper
Wilson's Phalarope
Western Tanager
Virginia's Warbler

May 15th
Red-breasted Merganser
American White Pelican
Least Bittern
Red-shouldered Hawk
Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Willet
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Caspian Tern
Black Skimmer
Vaux's Swift
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Yellow-breasted Chat

May 16th
Wild Turkey
Swainson's Hawk
Western Gull
Least Tern
Nuttall's Woodpecker
Purple Martin
Oak Titmouse
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Lawrence's Goldfinch

May 17th
California Quail
Clapper Rail
Whimbrel
Forster's Tern
Wrentit
California Thrasher
California Towhee
Rufous-crowned Sparrow

May 18th
Pacific Loon
Black-bellied Plover
Pacific Golden Plover
Black Oystercatcher
Long-billed Curlew
Red Knot
Royal Tern
Elegant Tern
Allen's Hummingbird
Nutmeg Mannikin

May 19th
Hutton's Vireo
Blue Grosbeak
Hooded Oriole

May 20th
Black Swift
Pacific-slope Flycatcher

May 21st
Little Blue Heron
Greater Yellowlegs
Band-tailed Pigeon

May 26th
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Poorwill
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Arizona Woodpecker
Greater Pewee
Mexican Jay
Swainson's Thrush
American Pipit
Fan-tailed Warbler
Hepatic Tanager

May 27th
Scaled Quail
Zoe-tailed Hawk
Vermillion Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Gray Catbird
Yellow-eyed Junco

May 28th
Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Least Grebe
Gray Hawk
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
Gilded Flicker
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Bronzed Cowbird

May 29th
Magnificent Hummingbird
Lucifer Hummingbird
Hammond's Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Summer Tanager
Scott's Oriole

June 1st
Warbling Vireo
Olive Warbler

June 10th 
White-vented Myna
House Crow
Pacific Swallow
Common Myna
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Grey Heron
Oriental Magpie- Robin
House Swift
Common Koel
Asian Glossy Starling

June 11th
Spotted Dove
Peaceful Dove
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Black-naped Oriole

June 12th
Purple Heron
Changeable Hawk-Eagle
Javan Myna

June 13th
Little Heron
Red-wattled Lapwing
White-breasted Waterhen
White-throated Kingfisher
Lesser Whistling Duck
Lineated Barbet
Coppersmith Barbet
Blue-bearded Bee-eater
Green Bee-eater
Greater Coucal
Indian Roller
Dollarbird
Asian Palm Swift
Brown-backed Needletail
Asian Barred Owlet
Large-tailed Nightjar
Rock Pigeon
Mountain Imperial Pigeon
Red Collared Dove
Thick-billed Green Pigeon
Emerald Dove
Greater Painted-Snipe
Bronze-winged Jacana
Shikra
Little Cormorant
Little Egret
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
Javan Pond Heron
Asian Openbill
Long-tailed Shrike
Black Drongo
Scarlet Minivet
Ashy Woodswallow
Black-collared Starling
Hill Myna
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Paddyfield Pipit
Indochinese Bushlark
Baya Weaver
Scaly-breasted Munia

June 14th
Red Junglefowl
Siamese Fireback
Greater Yellownape
Laced Woodpecker
Common Flameback
Great Slaty Woodpecker
Moustached Barbet
Oriental Pied Hornbill
Great Hornbill
Red-headed Trogon
Banded Kingfisher
Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo
Brown Hawk Owl
Buffy Fish Owl
Long-tailed Broadbill
Blue-winged Leafbird
Asian Fairy Bluebird
Green Magpie
Orange-headed Thrush
White-crowned Forktail
Black-crested Bulbul
Buff-throated Bulbul
Bright-headed Cisticola
Rufescent Prinia
Grey-breasted Prinia
White-crested Laughingthrush
Striped Tit-babbler
White-bellied Yuhina
Fire-breasted (Buff-bellied) Flowerpecker
Plain-backed Sparrow

June 15th
Green-eared Barbet
Wreathed Hornbill
Lesser Coucal
Green-billed Malkoha
Red-breasted Parakeet
Barred Cuckoo Dove
Golden-fronted Leafbird
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
White-rumped Shama
Black-headed Bulbul
Grey-eyed Bulbul
Common Tailorbird
Plain Flowerpecker
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

June 16th
Banded Broadbill
Dark-necked Tailorbird
Crimson Sunbird
Banded Bay Cuckoo
Stripe-throated Bulbul
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Germain’s Swiftlet
White-browed Crake
Black-winged Stilt
Black-shouldered Kite
Indian Cormorant
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black Bittern
Racket-tailed Treepie
Streaked Weaver
Little Grebe
Asian Golden Weaver
Large-billed Crow
Pied Fantail
Asian Pied Starling
Streak-eared Bulbul
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Olive-backed Sunbird
Plain Prinia
Black-headed Munia

June 17th
White-browed Piculet
Buff-rumped Woodpecker
Greater Flameback
Black-Backed Kingfisher
Drongo Cuckoo
Collared Owlet
Crested Serpent Eagle
Black-thighed Falconet
Blue-winged Pitta
Black-and-Red Broadbill
Dusky Broadbill
Bronzed Drongo
Spangled Drongo
Black-naped Monarch
Ochraceous Bulbul
Eurasian Thick-knee
Spotted Owlet
Collared Scops Owl

June 18th
Red-legged Crake
Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush
Silver Pheasant
Great Barbet
Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher
Orange-breasted Flowerpecker
Little Cuckoo-dove
Silver-breasted Broadbill
Little Spiderhunter
Oriental Whiteye
White-browed Scimitar Babbler
Spot-necked Babbler

June 19th
Mountain Bulbul
Flavescent Bulbul
Ashy Bulbul
Brown Hornbill
Blue-eared Barbet
Blue-throated Barbet
Yellow-vented Green Pigeon
Greater Green Leafbird
Ratchet-tailed Treepie
Black-and-Buff Woodpecker
Speckled Piculet
Streaked Spiderhunter
Vinous-breasted Starling
Indian Nightjar
Yellow-breasted Warbler
Brown-cheeked Fulvetta
White-rumped Munia
White-hooded Babbler

June 20th
House Sparrow
Cinnamon Bittern
Spot-billed Pelican
Whiskered Tern
Common Tern
Purple Swamphen
Watercock
Oriental Pratincole
Pink-necked Green Pigeon
Painted Stork
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Brahminy Kite
Collared Kingfisher
Blue-tailed Kingfisher
Blue-throated Bee-eater

June 23rd
Glossy Swiftlet
Long-tailed Sibia
White-throated Fantail
Brown Wood Owl
Slaty-backed Forktail
White-browed Shrike-babbler

June 24th
Red-bearded Bee-eater
Javan Cuckoo-shrike
Chestnut-capped Laughing-thrush
Mountain Fulvetta
Large Niltava
Fire-tufted Barbet
Sultan Tit
Lesser Shortwing
Hill Blue Flycatcher

June 25th
Grey-chinned Minivet
Orange-bellied Leafbird
Grey-throated Babbler
Silver-eared Mesia
Blue-winged Minla
Bay Woodpecker
Blue Nuthatch
Buff-breasted Babbler
Golden Babbler
Rufous-browed Flycatcher
Chestnut-crowned Laughing-thrush

June 26th
Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo
Black-throated Sunbird
Black Eagle
Rufous Piculet
Crimson-winged Woodpecker
Bamboo Woodpecker
Lesser Yellownape
Large Wood-shrike
Black Laughing-thrush
Mountain Tailorbird
Little Pied Flycatcher
Everett’s White-eye
Brown-throated Sunbird

July 5th
Black-naped Tern
Crested Myna

July 6th
White-bellied Sea Eagle

July 23rd
Rufous-crowned Babbler
Chestnut-backed Scimitar-babbler
Grey-rumped Treeswift
Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike
Common Iora

July 27^th
Rufous Hummingbird 

August 27^th 
McGillivray’s Warbler 

September 4^th 
Olive-sided Flycatcher 

September 10^th 

Gray Vireo
Nashville Warbler

September 11^th 
Hooded Warbler 

September 17^th 
Tricolored Heron
Sabine’s Gull 

September 18^th 
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler

Bell’s Vireo 

October 2^nd 
Baird’s Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper

October 7^th 
Prairie Falcon
Mountain Bluebird 

October 9^th 
Clark’s Nutcracker 

October 15^th 

Chimney Swift
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Phoebe
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Black-capped Chickadee
Palm Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Swamp Sparrow 

October 16^th 
Fox Sparrow 

October 30^th 
American Redstart

November 11^th 

Glaucous-winged Gull

November 12^th 
Harris’s Hawk 

November 17^th 
White Ibis 

November 18^th 
Glossy Ibis
Wood Stork 

November 19^th 
Anhinga
Northern Gannet
Roseate Spoonbill
Reddish Egret
American Bittern
Crested Caracara
Sanderling
Short-billed Dowitcher
Marbled Godwit 
Western Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Parasitic Jaeger
Laughing Gull
Red-bellied Woodpecker

Fish Crow
Common Grackle
Boat-tailed Grackle

November 25th

Mew Gull

Long-tailed Duck

Barrow's Goldeneye

December 16th

Rusty Blackbird

December 19th

Surf Scoter

Thayer's Gull

Herring Gull

December 21st

Tundra Swan

December 24th

Red-throated Loon

Glaucous Gull

Nutting's Flycatcher

October-December Recap

I added 50 species in the year’s final quarter including 9 in Chicago and 20 in one day’s birding in central Florida. 

Of the 21 birds in Arizona, 12 were state birds – Pectoral Sandpiper, American Redstart, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Glaucous-winged Gull, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Mew Gull, Long-tailed Duck, Rusty Blackbird, Thayer’s Gull, Glaucous Gull, Nutting’s Flycatcher and Red-throated Loon - doubling my state bird total for the year! 5 of these were lifers and another was new for me in the ABA area.

Flagstaff: Mt Elden CBC

The year ended as it had began with the Flagstaff: Mt Elden CBC, always held on the Saturday after Christmas Day. This time the temperatures were 40 degrees Fahrenheit warmer ranging from 27 to 58 degrees.

We saw 34 species with the highlights being a male Eurasian Wigeon and a Snow Goose.  A Bald Eagle was on the snag at Lake Elaine when we arrived in the morning but soon disappeared and we saw no more eagles during the day. A single Cedar Waxwing was the best passerine. My year ended with the birds at the Purina plant – Common Raven, Eurasian Starling and Rock Pigeon! Worse birds than the three I had started the year with!

Triple Chase

Tom called on Friday with news of a Glaucous Gull at Lake Havasu. He had to chase this, his 450th Arizona bird. I went with him and we had the bird at the Pittsburgh Point lighthouse, courtesy of Lauren and David, when we arrived at 9:00. We then went to Bill Williams and, courtesy of helping hand from the iPod, had the Nutting's Flycatcher by 10:30. A short drive to Havasu Springs and a scan of the lake yielded the Red-throated Loon, on my third trip to find it!

Glaucous Gull

Nutting's Flycatcher

This took me to 590 for the year with 347 in the U.S. and 276 in Arizona. The gull and loon took me to 112 lifers for the year. In addition, the flycatcher took me to 24 new state birds for 2011.